Section: LIFE & LEISURE
Page: D2

Friday, July 28, 1995

PUPPET THEATER PROJECT A GIFT FROM TULA TO ALBANY SCHOOL

Kathleen Dooley

Rakeem Carter, Amanda Randall, Sharon Lewinter and Aleah Walsh, all students at Albany High School, are having a ball with puppets this summer.

Under the guidance of Sheila Van Woert, art instructor in the Albany public schools, the students, through an independent study program, are continuing work on the Tula Puppet Project, which began last spring. Assisting the high schoolers are two representatives from Tula, Russia.

When Tula's Puppet Theatre team left Albany last spring, following a two-week residency in puppet construction, performance and class visits, they left permanent reminders of their visit to Albany, a complete case of puppets and staging for ``Little Red Riding Hood'' for student use, according to Laura Chodos of the Albany-Tula Alliance cultural exchanges committee.

The puppets were only partially completed, but there was also staging, and script, for the Russian fairy tale, ``Mashenka and the Bear,'' or ``Little Red Riding Hood'' as we know it. The summer school project enabled the youths to complete the puppets and the theater and work on the show. Recently they put on a performance for summer school students at Hackett Middle School.

The students expect to take the show on the road in the fall, bringing ``Little Red Riding Hood'' to Albany schools. The entire set and the puppets are large and colorful, and children love them, said Van Woert.

The Tula Puppet Theatre in Russia is currently working on a new production, ``The Frog Prince,'' for next year. A new puppet theater complex had been under construction in Tula, said Chodos, former member of the state Board of Regents, but building stopped in 1992 with the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Lubov Khromova, director of the Tula Puppet Theatre, hopes to complete this and host groups of students and teachers from Albany schools. When the Tula visitors left Albany, a monetary gift was presented to help with completion of the theater. ``The puppet group was deeply touched by the friendship and generosity of the people in the Capital Region,'' said Chodos.

Students at Emma Willard, Troy, Tamarac School in Brunswick and other local schools plan to present the well-known fairy tales in Russian within their schools over the coming year. Chodos said six local schools are teaching Russian, and Maplewood Elementary School in Watervliet offers primary-grade classes in the language.

The Tula Puppet Theatre's design shop in Russia is making fabric dolls by hand to raise funds for its productions. These dolls will be sold at local museum and children's theater gift shops this year.

Rebecca Hakes and Michelle Waterman were awarded scholarships for their essays on ``How Girl Scouting Has Impacted My Life'' by the Mohawk Pathways Girl Scout Council.

Rebecca Falzano of Albany has won honorable mention in the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians 1991 national essay contest.

Elizabeth Waterhouse, a sophomore at Shaker High School, Latham, is the winner of the Dudley Observatory's competition to attend an advanced astronomy campership in Tuscon, Ariz.

Pupils at Ballston Lake's Chango Elementary School who received the principal's award for leadership, cooperation, academic excellence and outstanding conduct are Christopher Coffey, Sarah Koneman and Shannon McGrath. School spelling bee winners include Jeff Debellis, first; and Joseph Cheuk, second place.

Seth Garber of Ballston Lake is the receipient of Paramount Communications' merit scholarship, administered through the National Merit Scholarship Corp.

Matthew Tiscione of Rotterdam recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout. A member of Troop 32, sponsored by St. Gabriel's Church, for his project he painted parking lines for the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 88 at the Five Corners in Rotterdam. For the project he used materials donated by community organizations. A member of the Order of the Arrow, he has earned 22 merit badges. A recent graduate of Mohonasen High School, he received the $1,000 Rotterdam Democratic Club Education Award at graduation. He will attend Alfred University in the fall.

So-Youn Kim, a senior at Guilderland Central High School, was awarded a $14,000 scholarship to attend the Columbus College of Art and Design as a result of a national portfolio competition held at the Ohio college.

The Colonie Art League recently awarded two $500 scholarships to help cover their tuition expenses as they pursue careers in art. Joshua Morton, a June graduate of Shaker High School in Latham, will be attending the State University College at Purchase. Gregory Bockis of Colonie Central High School is planning to attend Rochester Institute of Technology.

Winners in the Women's Club of Chatham annual student arts and crafts contest included Amy Keller, Heather Lewis, Matt Logan, Matt Mackowski, Roger Mason, John Scannell, Adria Mueller and Jeremy Rundell.

Rachel Holland of Watervliet was a finalist in the 1995 pre-teen New York pageant and took part in the scholarship and recognition program held June 30-July 2 in Rochester.

Christopher Powers of Colonie Central High School is the recipient of the Laberge Environmental Award, given to a Colonie High School student who plans to attend college in the field of civil engineering.

Sarah Cerniglia was recently honored by the Capital District Business and Marketing Educators Association at a reception held at the Holiday Inn Turf in Colonie for her achievements in business and marketing education.

John Kwiatkowski Jr., a graduating senior at Cohoes High School, was awarded the 1995 community service scholarship offered by A.W. Lawrence & Co. at the Cohoes High School awards assembly.

Corey Catlin of Poestenkill is the outstanding high school business education student of the class of 1995 at Averill Park High School. He is a member of National Honor Society, and has played varsity tennis for several years.

James Flynn of Columbia High School is the recipient of a $250 scholarship from Columbia Physical Therapy. Flynn will be attending Daemen College in Amherst.

Amy Shambo of Scotia-Glenville High School has been presented a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island for her involvement in Junior Achivement. She took part in the 15-week company program and also in JA's Globe program. along with her classmates she developed and traded products with students in Mexico City. She was vice president of production for this project.

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